Healthier Taco Dip - American Flag Style!

Crowd pleaser - and they will never know your little secret, Greek Yogurt! Helps decrease calories, and increase protein value - making this just dish a little cleaner!

Taco Seasoning:

• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Dip:

• 16 oz ⅓ less fat cream cheese
• 16 oz plain greek yogurt

Toppings:

• 16 oz jar mild salsa (or fresh, even better!)
• 3 cups roamine - chopped
• Cherry tomatoes - cut in halves
• 1.5 cup reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
• 2¼ oz sliced black olives

What you need to do:

1. Mix the taco seasoning ingredients together (if you are in a rush or don't have all the spices you can use 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning)
2. In a medium bowl, add taco seasoning to the dip ingredients - beat on high for 2 minutes
3. Spread mixture evenly into a 9x13 dish.
4. Top with a thin layer of salsa
5. Then layer with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and olives!
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to serving! Enjoy!

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Aubrey's First Day of Kindergarten

Where did the time go? I mean seriously? How could she be 5 and going to kindergarten?

She has been waiting for this day for over a year... the bus stop is basically our driveway, and last school year - everyday, she would watch her neighborhood friends get on the bus and couldn't wait until it was her turn.

Well like most summers, it was over in the blink of an eye!

We had a countdown going, every day she would tell complete strangers "4 more days until I ride a bus to kindergarten!"

We did all the orientations, met the teacher, toured the school, tackled the big school supply list, and
debated on back packs in the Target back to school aisle for about 15 minutes...

The night before, we read a poem from her teacher and put "Jitter Glitter" under her pillow to help her sleep well - which didn't work very well.... lets see - up once for water, up once for a bloody nose, a bathroom trip, a lost stuffed animal and a bad dream later it was kindergarten morning!


I have been taking her photo in this chair since the day she came home - the tradition lives on!

I was excited to get back on a schedule! She did great - breakfast, teeth brushed, hair done (had to trial a few hair styles), dressed and ready to go in 15 minutes flat! She stood in the living room with her book bag on for literally 30 minutes!

We walked down to the bus stop - again literally outside our garage (lucky me!) and were greeted by her neighborhood friends! When the bus came, her face was gleaming! A quick kiss and she was on the super packed bus!








We walked down to the school, and yes we beat the bus to watch the kiddos walk in on their first
day! When she got off the bus she was in awe staring at the school and a little 'deer in headlights'. Her neighborhood girlfriends took her hand and away they went. She blew me a quick kiss and away she went!

And Kate and I made the 5 minute walk back home. Before the school year, we got to decide if she was going to be in morning or afternoon kindergarten. And it was a real debate for me - morning meant more of a routine, and one on one time with Kate while Aubrey was in school and one on one time with Aubrey while Kate napped after school. Afternoon meant 2 hours, kids free - to work, clean, sleep, and get in some me time... The business woman in me and the mom in me where at odds! But the mom side always wins! Kate has never had me one on one and this was her time!

At the end of the school day, Kate and I walked down to pick up Aubrey! I am so geeked that we can walk to her school, that's to some gracious neighbors that allow us to walk through their yard! Aubrey came out, telling me all about her awesome day! And when I asked about where she ended up on the behavior chart, her answer was, "well mom, My teacher said if I stopped talking she would move me up to blue, so I stopped talking for a little. I guess I talk to much, but whatever"

Yep, that's my girl xo

What a blessing that I am able to watch her get on the bus, walk to pick her up and have one on one time with both girls! Coaching has allowed me to be with my girls as much as possible.. My dream has always been to be a stay at home mom, but also provide financially for my family and this dream is quickly becoming a reality!

If your dream is work from home and be there for all these big milestones, than coaching could be a great fit for you - let's chat about it!

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Caprese Chicken

 

Caprese salad is a family favorite - and in Autumn's new cookbook - FIXATE - she had a great idea to add it to chicken! Great, fresh summer recipe and really quite simple!

What you need:

• Raw boneless, skinless chicken breast (as many as you plan on making!)
• Ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp pesto sauce (per chicken breast)
• Fresh Basil Pesto sauce recipe here!
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1 slice of fresh mozzarella (per chicken breast)
• Tomato slices

 

What you need to do:

1. Season both sides of the chicken evenly with pepper (I am a garlic lover so I also added a pinch of granulated garlic to the chicken!)
2. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat
3. Add chicken, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (until no longer pink in the middle)
4. Top chicken with pesto, mozzarella, and tomato.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered for 1-2 minutes or until cheese and tomatoes are softened.
6. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

Fresh Basil Pesto!

So amazing with all the basil I had from my garden! Felt light and fresh - great way to switch up my typical chicken!

 

What you need:

• 2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (peeled)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

What you need to do:

1. Combine basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
2. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Add the remaining oil and pulse.
5. Transfer into a serving dish and add cheese.
6. Mix well.
7. Enjoy!

Cheese Tortellini Primavera

 I admit, I am a really boring eater - I could eat grilled chicken every day... but I love to spice up my side dishes. One of my favorite things to do is to mix my carbs and veggies together! It tricks my brain into thinking I am eating more carbs than I should, meanwhile I am sneaking in tons of veggies! Win, Win!

What you need:

• 2 cups of cooked broccoli (I use frozen steam fresh and steam them in bag prior to use)
• 2 cups of spinach
• 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup of tomatoes (cherry slices or romas diced)
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 20 oz package of organic cheese tortellini
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh grated parm for topping

What you need to do:

1. Boil tortellini as per package instructions
2. In a large frying pan, add 2 tbsp. of EVOO, garlic, mushrooms and broccoli. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes (I like my broccoli and mushrooms a little browned)
3. Add in spinach, tomatoes, basil, and tortellini - cook on medium/low
4. Cook until tomatoes soften.
5. Serving size is 1.5 cups - top with fresh parm!
6. Enjoy!

Pea Protein

The second compent in Shakeology's protein blend is Pea Protein! Not only is it a great hypoallogenic, vegan, and vegetarian source of protein but it is also soy, gluten, and dairy free!

Benefits of Pea Protein:

• Excellent Amino Acid Profile
• Yellow peas supply a unique array of amino acids, the building blocks of body tissue (including skin, hair and nails), muscles, DNA/RNA, hormones, enzymes that help your body function normally, and even your immune system!  Being rich in lysine and arginine, pea protein is especially beneficial for active lifestyles
• Pea protein is high Lysine
  
• Lysine cannot be made in the body and must therefore be consumed through the diet. Lysine is the precursor of carnitine, the molecule responsible for converting fatty acids into energy and helping to lower cholesterol.
• Lysine also appears to help absorb calcium and plays an important role in the formation of collagen—the building block of connective tissue such as bones, cartilage, skin, tendons. It supports the normal growth and development of children and plays a role in the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
• Lysine deficiency is rare in typical American diets but can be a risk for strict vegetarians, vegans or elite athletes.
• Insufficient lysine can lead to fatigue, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, agitation, bloodshot eyes, slow growth, anemia, and reproductive disorders.
• Branched Chain Amino Acids refers to the amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. 
• Together they make up 40% of the daily requirement for essential amino acids in humans.
• 30% Iron Content 
• Iron is an integral part of human physiology and is required for the transportation of oxygen throughout the body as well as regulation of cell growth and differentiation.
• Pea protein provides 30% of the iron required per day in a single serving.
• Allergen-Friendly
• Some individuals simply cannot tolerate egg, milk and soy-derived protein due to allergies. For example, the milk sugar called lactose can cause severe allergic reactions that result in unwanted gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, bloating, diarrhea or vomiting.
• Yellow pea protein powder is suitable for almost any user. It also contains no gluten. Most yellow proteins are organic and contain little or no artificial colors, sweeteners or fillers.
• Muscle Recovery 
  
• Muscles are structures made mostly from protein. Intense physical training or simply every day activities can cause muscle to breakdown on a daily basis.  
• Thermic Effect of Protein 
• Proteins have a “thermic” effect, meaning that they create heat in the body through the process of digestion. Since proteins take a lot of energy to digest, you burn more calories after eating a meal high in protein.
• In fact, up to 30 percent of protein’s calories get burned through its digestion according to “The Abs Diet” by David Zinczenko. Building a weight loss strategy around lean sources of protein like yellow pea powder makes nutritional sense.
• Blood Sugar
• Dietary protein has another important affect on your weight loss efforts. Blood sugar will spike in response to carbohydrate based foods meals thereby causing the pancreas to secrete the hormone insulin to facilitate the storage of circulating nutrients. Large insulin spikes that result from high or simple carbohydrate-containing meals (e.g. white rice, white bread or sweets) may trigger fat storage and may lead to insulin resistance according to “The Fat Burning Bible” by Mackie Shilstone. This can also lead to subsequent drastic drops in blood sugar which result in fatigue. Consuming or combining protein with a meal helps to regulate this blood sugar and insulin effect to potentially prevent body fat storage.tein has another important effect on your weight loss efforts.

Healthier Fruit Dip

Let's face it - summer time, pool side, fresh fruit - who doesn't want a little cream cheese dip?! But what you most likely don't want is all the calories associated with it! Am I right?

 

What you need:

1 (32 ounce) container Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt

1 (8 ounce) container Lite Cool Whip

1 (3.4 ounce) box dry instant cheesecake pudding mix

Fruit for serving

 

What you need to do:

1. In a large bowl, mix together vanilla yogurt, Cool Whip, and pudding mix until completely combined and you see no more lumps.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for about 30 minutes.
3. Serve with your fruit of choice and enjoy!